DU Ham radio operators: Seen the new Icom IC-7800?

[DemoTex]

$10,000. What has happened to our hobby? Add a linear amp and a few other bells and whistles and you have a $20,000 HF station.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Why so much?

Every frequency from infrared to ultraviolet?

[DemoTex]

3. Just 160 meters through 6 meters (1.8 mHz - 50 mHz).

More bells and whistles than a Bu$h Social Security road show! I'll take two, please. Put them on my zeroed-out credit cards. NOT!

[tridim]

2. My dad was into ham radios and tried to get me into it too

Unfortunately BBS'es were all the rage at the time, and I wasn't interested in a form of communications that didn't have X-Modem file transfers. I wasn't interested in taking a test either. :)

Regardless of the price, that radio looks damn cool!

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Whew. A bit pricey!

[KatyaR]

5. Wow, I'd love to get my hands on that thing . . .

but I probably wouldn't have a clue as to what to do with it! My ham skills are pretty rusty, I'm afraid. I need to get back into a club and get on the air again.

$10,000--wow! I guess hams are being priced out of their hobby just like everybody else. Me, I'm all for buying good used equipment.

DemoTex, I hope your Sirius is doing better--such a sweet baby!

[DBoon]

6. Wow. Just think of the antenna I could have for that money!

Remember, you are only as good as your antenna system.

On edit: OK, maybe the antenna above is a bit more than $20k.

[hayu_lol]

8. Used to be an easy hobby to get into...now there are more

of these massive transceivers instead of the low power rigs. I really liked the Century 21/22...just cw. Ended up with a ten-tec Omni-D. KB6UBP/7

[DemoTex]

9. Hi KB6UBP/7

I usually operate QRP, but I've got a IC-756 and linear amp for some of my airline and international nets.

K9STR
Mac

[BikeWriter]

7. Whoa! The furthest I've gotten is CBs.